Despite Health Care Costs Actually Slowing Down, Americans Still Feeling The Pinch
Although the rise in health insurance premiums moderated from 2010 to 2015, compared with the previous five years, wages did not keep pace with the increases so it still feels like a burden to many Americans.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Health Care Costs Rise Slowly For Those Who Get Insurance At Work
Health insurance costs for Americans who get their coverage through their jobs have seen only small annual increases since the federal Affordable Care Act went into effect, despite soaring premiums in the new marketplaces. Employee contributions to their health expenses rose more slowly between 2010 and 2015 in most states, including California, than they did in the previous five years, according to a report released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund. Still, employee salaries haven’t kept pace with health costs. The report follows this week’s news that premiums for mid-level plans sold through the federal exchange created by the health law will increase by 25 percent next year — a concern Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has raised in recent speeches. (Colliver, 10/25)